Principal cast: Andrew Robinson, Claire Higgins, Ashley Laurence, Doug Bradly
Director: Clive Barker
Genre: Horror
**spoiler alert**
The Basics: The story centers on Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) who is literally torn apart after solving the now famous puzzle cube, unlocking the gate to Hell. He is able to break his bonds and return to the world of the living into the attic of his old house, but needs victims to exsanguinate to reconstitute his now eviscerated body. Enter his brother Larry (Robinson) who moves into the house with his wife, Julia (Higgins) and Larry’s daughter Kirsty (Laurence). In the past, Julia had had an affair with Frank, so she now agrees to lure victims and kill for him. Kirsty happens upon a murder scene and sees the still skinless Uncle Frank. In a panic she grabs the cube and runs. Inadvertently, she solves the puzzle cube calling the demonic Cenobites to her. To save her own life, she tells them her Uncle Frank escaped them and she would lead them to him, leading to the final confrontation.
Recommendation: This is a movie that should be included in the collections of anyone who is a fan of the horror genre, and in my opinion, movie fans in general. It is a good example of what can be accomplished with a limited budget and some imagination. Warning: This movie is graphically violent at times, so it is not for the feint of heart.
My Interpretation: At its core, Hellraiser is a demonic, intensely violent family drama. You have Frank who, being a pervert and criminal, is the Cotton family’s proverbial black sheep, and who is squatting in the house in which he grew up. His brother, Larry is the well doer of the family, which is a character trait that is passed down to his daughter, while his wife, Julia, betrays him in her quest to bring her lover back from the dead.
This is the kind of storytelling that Clive Barker is known for. Like his other movies and books, it has a substance that goes beyond the typical demons come and kill people aesthetic. In this film, the demons aren’t even the antagonists. The humans murder and commit horrors of their own, while the Cenobites, personifications of Hell itself, are morally neutral in their role as executioners of the curious, with no desires, loves, or hatred of their own.
Being a horror maven, I don’t frighten easily when it comes to movies, but even though I’ve seen this one a thousand times, I still get a chill or two at scenes such as Frank cutting the back off a dead rat with his switchblade, or the “Chattering” Cenobite shoving his fingers into Kirsty’s mouth. Clive Barker is one of the masters of creating a tense atmosphere and pulling the viewer right into it, whether you’re watching one of his movies or reading one of his books. This is Barker’s first major motion picture and, in my opinion, still his best.
Statistics
Story: Excellent. Richly imagined and dynamic, with solid character development and good pacing.
Cast performance: Very good. The actors do a good job in bringing forth the family dynamic into their performance to make their interactions believable.
Violence/Gore: Intense. Remember, this movie was made back when the MPAA were much, much more liberal about what could pass for an R rating.
Couple that with the level of carnage Clive Barker is known for, and you get a good idea of what to expect.
Nudity: Very little. An accidental nipple slip and a quick butt shot is all there is. However the lack of nudity takes nothing away from the movie,.
Ambiance/Music: Very good. Barker does a great job of using set, music and sound to create an eerie atmosphere which can be chilling when viewed in the dark (this is coming from a horror fan, remember.)
Overall Rating: 4.75/5 on the Bob Kline scale.
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